By CRAIG FREILICH

Farmers and gardeners are a little less anxious today because of the rain we had Sunday in St. Lawrence County, but the burn ban is likely to remain in place through June 14.

Conditions in the North Country had been increasingly dry, raising the chance of trouble for home and farm crops and of brush fires, but recent rain might have alleviated that to some degree.

“Yes, we did receive a sizeable amount of rain yesterday, but with the dry conditions I would be reluctant to advise the chair (of the county Board of Legislators) to lift the ban,” said the county’s Director of Emergency Services Mike LeCuyer.

A state of emergency was declared and an outdoor ban on open burning began Tuesday, May 31 for two weeks, through June 14.

The order said “no person shall intentionally set an open fire throughout St. Lawrence, with the exception of a campfire at a designated state, federal, or Department of Environment of Conservation licensed campgrounds where the camp fires are in fire rings that confine contain the camp fire.”

“We would look at revisiting it in the next several days” if rain predicted this week arrives, LeCuyer said.

Widespread spotty showers and thunderstorms moved through the North Country over the last several days. More than two inches of rain have fallen since Thursday at Richards Field, Massena International Airport. Yesterday, 1.81 inches was recorded there. And in the Gouverneur area, there have been numerous periods of light to moderate rain and at least one heavy downpour reported yesterday.

LeCuyer said “maybe by week’s end” it will be time to consider rescinding the burn ban order, “but in my personal opinion we should leave it in place” through the 14th, LeCuyer said.

“It’s a windy day today and that can dry things up pretty quickly,” he said.